Saw-whets . . . . did you expect anything else?

Foreign Recaptured Saw-whet!

Last night I caught another 3 more Northern Saw-whet Owls. These three were not your average captures and defiantly kept me on my feet while banding them. The first bird was a foreign recapture (banded by someone else) that was originally banded in Pennsylvania last November (2006). I can’t wait to hear more from the Bird Banding Lab about whom and where this bird was first found.

Deformed Saw-whet Bill

Then my last bird of the evening had an extra long upper mandible and deformed lower mandible. Because of these deformities . . . . the bill almost has a cross bill look to it! Good news was this freak bird was very health and a second year bird (adult). This morning I received numerous emails from raptor bill experts and I have been sharing my pictures with them. Will let you know if I hear anything else about them.

I’m just knocked out by the size of these little owls. They are so small and beautiful. Interesting deformity on that near cross-bill-looking bird. We get Red Cross-bills here, but not often enough. If that Saw-whet can still get food and have a good life, yay for persistence in the face of adversity.

He’s beautiful!! Stunning photo’s!! You can show photo’s of Saw whet’s every day if you want! 🙂
I envy how up close and personal you are with nature!!~~You are very lucky…I think you really love your job!!

@ Pam – LOL thanks! They smell like all other owls! No pine smelling ones!
@ Cathy – thanks and sometimes the get me good! Being tiny they just leave red marks!
@ Robin – thanks and they are tiny for sure! The talons are what get the food! The bill just helps them eat the mice!
@ Nita – LOL, we named this guy bill?
@ Catherine – thanks and I promise not to do that! Isn’t that the only way to enjoy nature?
@ Erie – thanks and glad you are learning things!
@ Bernie – blush, thanks! Glad you have been enjoying it!
@ Mike – Not all people are perfect and this is proof that birds are not also! Thanks
@ Chicago – Thanks and I am glad he is doing good.

Wow Mon@rch, their feathers are so amazing! I’m glad you can take the close-up shots.
So, do they tear their food apart once it’s been caught? This little owl’s bill deformity must not be bad enough to inhibit its ability to catch and eat food, right?

That top picture is adorable! I love owls. They remind me of my daddy. He could sit on the porch and make this really LOUD owl noise with just his mouth and the owls in the woods would talk back to him and come right up to the trees in the edge of the yard. It was so cool. He could do several different kinds of owls too.

Maybe I can talk you into letting me use one of your owl photos to fuse into glass to make a pendant….. Maybe if I send you a pendant…. email me. 🙂

Hi Tom,
I so love these Owls! Extra wonderful!
You said my “Cooper’s Hawk” is really a “Sharp-shinned?” My husband and I have been debating this id for a long time. I was looking at the tail feathers and I cannot tell. Sharp-shinned has the squred off tail feathers and Cooper’s the round, right?
Thank you so very much. I am excited to finally have the right id.
Sherry

@ Jayne – I can’t wait also!
@ Patrick – thanks and percentage is low but keep track of everything!
@ Ruthie – thanks and isn’t that the only way to look at things? This bird was very healthy and it appears it has had this long bird for most or all of its life! I aged it as a second year bird meaning it was born last summer.
@ Liz – lol and I do have a habit of showing some birds band sides around the world.
@ Mary – Thanks and I two love those eyes!
@ Rebecca – sent you an email as you have responded already! Thanks
@ Adam – thanks and this bird was just as healthy as all other Saw-whets that I have banding (and sometimes more so than the others)!
@ Kaz – thanks and its great to be able to share!
@ Trixie – LOL, the bird was foreign meaning that the band wasn’t one of mine. And doubt I will hear from the long billed bird again!
@ Sherry – thanks and will have to go back for a better look!

Welcome!

Welcome to the mon@rch nature blog and I hope you join us in some of our nature adventures through the Allegany State Park area!

I am a naturalist, field biologist and nature photographer from the Western New York area. I have started exploring nature writing through this blog and it truly has been fun sharing my numerous adventures with everyone. Thanks to the many other authors that help me with my post and they will be sharing some of their nature explorations.

I have always had a latent interest in birds and photography and have been lucky enough to find time to explore these interests over the last few years. I am very thankful to the Cattaraugus County Bird Club for getting me started, sharing their wealth of knowledge and for their wonderful programs. And many thanks to Tom for letting me share some of my adventures and photos on the Monarch Nature Blog.